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The green jellybean continues to turn heads. In Glendale, it got slammed as “an ugly green Japanese Beetle” by two women who’d just finished kickboxing class (I was walking behind them, and had a still-warm chocolate chip cookie in my hand, so I didn’t jump to the car’s defense). Later that day a twentysomething guy riding a bike in Burbank shouted, “Great car!” “Are you serious?” I asked, figuring he was being sarcastic. “No, it looks cool – I love it!” he said. And a woman in a Target parking lot came up to me and asked if a car seat would fit in the back seat.

The Mazda‘s boxy cuteness still makes me smile, but a couple of things are starting to get on my nerves. It seems like every car in the world has the interior lock/unlock buttons on the door, near the automatic window open/close buttons. On the Mazda2, the button is on the center stack, in front of the cupholders and to the right of the parking brake. It’s an odd place for it, and even after months of driving the ‘2, I can’t get used to it. Out of habit I’m always fumbling around on the door, trying to lock the car.

The other thing I’m noticing more is the road noise at highway speeds above 60 mph. It’s not loud, but it’s far from quiet, and on longer trips the hum becomes intrusive. On the other hand, the Touring trim seats are firm and supportive, and suppress the feel of minor potholes and bumps.

I just moved to an apartment complex on a big hill, and am dismayed at how quickly the engine loses oomph on the incline. It’s almost instantaneous. On flat lands, shifting into first still is jerky, and I wish there were a sixth gear. But I love its overall agility, and have nabbed many a parking space thanks to the 16-foot, 1-inch turning radius.

Torque

2011 Mazda Mazda2 News and Reviews

If we rated our long-termers yearbook-style, the 2011 Mazda2 Touring would be voted Most Bang for the Buck and Most Likely to Make You Smile. It was far from the fastest, biggest, or most well-appointed car in our garage, but in its 12 months and 18,000 miles, the peppy green hatch won the hearts of almost everyone on staff.The '2…

Because of a few vacation days and a stint in our Detroit office, I haven't had as much seat time in the '2 over the last month, but two members of MT's online staff eagerly volunteered to babysit. Truck Trend online editor Melissa Spiering hopped in the little green machine for the weekend and, as is usual around L.A, she…

It's still small. Still sparkly green. Still fuel-efficient. I haven't made any new or exciting discoveries about the Mazda2, now in its sixth month in our Motor Trend long-term fleet. It's your basic hatch -- there's no nav system to decipher, no super-awesome stereo to crank up, no Sport mode to test out. It's just a good, fun city car.I…

The green jellybean continues to turn heads. In Glendale, it got slammed as "an ugly green Japanese Beetle" by two women who'd just finished kickboxing class (I was walking behind them, and had a still-warm chocolate chip cookie in my hand, so I didn't jump to the car's defense). Later that day a twentysomething guy riding a bike in Burbank…

When we first saw Mazda's tiny 2 at the 2008 Geneva show, we were immediately intrigued. Mazda execs labeled it a global B-segment car, but "global" doesn't always translate to American-bound. Would it come to the States? If so, would it endear itself to Americans enthralled with SUVs and pickups?By now, the answer to our first question is obvious. As…